In certain industries, it is necessary to utilize pressing apparatuses such as in the manufacture of plastic, steel, and wood products, among others. These pressing apparatuses are generally employed to compress a working material during the manufacturing process to create a final product. For example, some known pressing apparatuses in the timber industry compress a charge of wood components to form a final wood product. In some cases, steam is used in the pressing process to supply heat for plasticizing the working material (e.g., strands of crushed wood or wood fibers) and for curing any bonding agent applied to the working material. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,165, entitled “Manufacture of Reconsolidated Wood Products,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,031, entitled “A System and Method for the Manufacture of Reconsolidated or Reconstituted Wood Products,” and U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,669, entitled “Systems and Methods for the Production of Steam-Pressed Long Fiber Reconsolidated Wood Products,” all describe aspects of steam pressing and steam apparatuses in connection with manufacturing reconsolidated wood products.
Such conventional methods and apparatus, however, have significant drawbacks. For example, current pressing systems possess deficiencies in accuracy, timing, and precision during the manufacturing processes that impact the quality of the resultant product. Also, the structure of conventional apparatuses limits the manufacture of products of varying thickness and sizes. Additionally, previous technologies utilize a single entry point to the pressing enclosure where the working product is treated, which reduces production efficiency.
Further, conventional methods and apparatuses are prone to human errors and inaccuracies during the manufacturing process. During that process, apparatuses have traditionally used rudimentary platens which are inappropriate to produce wood products in curved shapes or other non-conventional patterns. Hydraulic cylinders that might move those platens have been generally placed inside of the enclosure where the working material is treated, which causes detrimental heat to the hydraulic oil. Furthermore, the apparatuses used during the manufacturing process are generally small, self-contained units inappropriate to enable scalability and modularity. Additionally, most prior apparatuses are unsuitable for introducing components (e.g., chemicals) to treat the working material at different stages of the manufacturing process.
Therefore, it is an aim of the present disclosure to provide methods and apparatuses that overcome and improve upon existing methods and devices for the forming of steam-pressed reconstituted or reconsolidated products, such as wood and timber products.